ORTHODONTICS

Pediatric Orthodontics

For children, the optimum appliances are selected from numerous different types. The choices reflect the specific dental alignment and bite, the stage of the transition to permanent teeth, the timing of jaw growth, personal lifestyle habits and other pertinent factors.

Early Orthodontic Treatment

Orthodontic treatment is primarily used to prevent and correct “bite” irregularities. Several factors may contribute to such irregularities, including genetic factors, the early loss of primary (baby) teeth, and damaging oral habits (such as thumb sucking and developmental problems).

Orthodontic irregularities may be present at birth or develop during toddlerhood or early childhood. Crooked teeth hamper self-esteem and make good oral homecare difficult, whereas straight teeth help minimize the risk of tooth decay and childhood periodontal disease.

Why does early orthodontic treatment make sense?

Some children display early signs of minor orthodontic irregularities. In such cases, the pediatric dentist may choose to monitor the situation over time without providing intervention. However, for children who display severe orthodontic irregularities, early orthodontic treatment can provide many benefits, including:

Early orthodontic treatment aims to guide and regulate the width of both dental arches. The main goal of early treatment is to provide enough space for the permanent teeth to erupt correctly. Good candidates for early treatment include: children who have difficulty biting properly, children who lose baby teeth early, children whose jaws click or grind during movement, bruxers, and children who use the mouth (as opposed to the nose and mouth) to breathe.

The goals of middle dentition treatments are to realign wayward jaws, to start to correct crossbites and to begin the process of gently straightening misaligned permanent teeth. Middle dentition marks a developmental period when the soft and hard tissues are extremely pliable. In some ways, therefore, it marks an optimal time to begin to correct a severe malocclusion.

Some appliances (like braces) are fixed and others are removable. Regardless of the appliance, the child will still be able to speak, eat, and chew in a normal fashion. However, children who are fitted with fixed dental appliances should take extra care to clean the entire oral region each day in order to reduce the risk of staining, decay, and later cosmetic damage.

Adolescent dentition is what springs to most parents’ minds when they think of orthodontic treatment. Some of the main goals of adolescent dentition include straightening the permanent teeth and improving the aesthetic appearance of the smile.

Most commonly during this period, the orthodontist will provide fixed or removable “braces” to gradually straighten the teeth. Upon completion of the orthodontic treatment, the adolescent may be required to wear a retainer in order to prevent the regression of the teeth to their original alignment.

Functional Orthodontics

It is the most common type of teeth braces. It is made of high-grade stainless steel and has metal brackets cemented to each tooth. The brackets interconnect with each other with a thin arch wire, which produces pressure on the teeth and causes it to move slowly in the desired position.

Traditional Braces

It is the most common type of teeth braces. It is made of high-grade stainless steel and has metal brackets cemented to each tooth. The brackets interconnect with each other with a thin arch wire, which produces pressure on the teeth and causes it to move slowly in the desired position.

Ceramic Braces

It is the most common type of teeth braces. It is made of high-grade stainless steel and has metal brackets cemented to each tooth. The brackets interconnect with each other with a thin arch wire, which produces pressure on the teeth and causes it to move slowly in the desired position.

Damon Metal/Damon Clear

Damon braces are self-ligating appliances that are fitted in the same way as traditional metal braces. But instead of having brackets that tighten and adjust the braces regularly, Damon braces use a slide mechanism that attaches wires to brackets to move naturally with the teeth as they realign. This makes them more comfortable, better looking and able to provide strong results in a shorter time.

Invisalign

Invisalign treatment is an alternative to traditional orthodontics treatments like braces. It consists of a series of nearly invisible, removable aligners that you have to change every two to four weeks. These aligners move your teeth little by little you have to use the aligners around 20 hours a day minimum and keep great oral hygiene so no caries build.

Who is Invisalign for?

Invisalign is for anyone who doesn’t want the conventional braces. An increasing number of people are finding out how easy it is to straighten their teeth discreetly.

Benefits of Invisalign include:

As the name suggests, they’re virtually invisible, meaning that you won’t have to feel embarrassed or nervous in front of your peers while wearing them.

The aligners are removable which allows you to avoid having to make frustrating changes to your diet or oral hygiene routine.

They’re comfortable and unbelievably easy to wear.

Fewer office visits are required than with traditional orthodontics.

Have a big event coming up? No problem! It’s all right to take out the aligner for a few hours and enjoy yourself – just make sure to put it back in when you’re done!

Smilerite was founded in 2013 with the sole aim of providing quality affordable dental care to the residents of Khalifa City and the neighboring community. At Smilerite, we treat patients like our own family. We like to put our people before profit and that's our unique selling point.